Well treatment with the drill string in the well



April 3, 1962 c. E. RElsTLE, JR 3,027,943

wELL TREATMENT WITH THE DRILL STRING IN THE WELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 13, 1957 u ll 6 4 4 6 697030 9 3 5 5 3 3 444565@V 5 L l'", /Z/ H|` I f f/ R E 5 5 76o 3 Oll3834302387 4 5 336 2 3634464w4435 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. CARL E. REISTLE JR.I

RIV# a FIG. 3a.

ATTO N April 3, 1962 c. E. RElsrLE, JR

WELL TREATMENT WITH THE DRILL STRING IN THE WELL 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Original Filed March 13, 1957 l I I-iliiil n af/5552155551 United Sttes Patent 3,027,943 WELL TREATMENT WITH THE DRILL STRING IN THE WELL Carl E. Reistle, Jr., Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Original application Mar. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 645,722, now Patent No. 2,994,378, dated Aug. 1, 1961. Divided and this application Mar. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 720,969

7 Claims. (Cl. 16o-33) The present invention is directed to the treatment of a well while maintaining the drill string in the well. More particularly, the invention is concerned with the treatment of a well in which a gasiform fluid, such as air or gas, is employed as a drilling fluid. In its more speciiic aspects the invention is directed to method for treating a well in which a gasiform uid is employed as the drilling fluid while maintaining the drill string in the well.

This application is a division of Serial No. 645,722, now Patent No. 2,994,378, entitled, Treatment of a Well With the Drill String in the Well, filed March 13, 1957, for Carl E. Reistle, Jr.

The present invention may be briey described as a method for treating a well penetrating a subsurface earth interval in which a gasiform material or uid is circulated down a hollow drill string in the well and up the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the Well during the drilling operations. In the present invention the drilling operations are interrupted, the drill string is maintained in the well, and the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the well is sealed. A body of a liquid treating agent is placed in the hollow drill string and then the liquid treating reagent is introduced into the subsurface earth interval, preferably by imposing pressure on the body in the hollow drill string.

The present invention is particularly useful in well treating operations in which a gasiform material or fluid is used as the drilling fluid to circulate drill cuttings from the well. In such operations, if a zone, horizon, stratum, interval, sand, formation, or other subsurface region is penetrated by the drill bit which requires treatment such as to seal ott water bearing formations and the like or to stimulate production it has heretofore been necessary to ll the well bore with a liquid in order to exert pressure on the treating reagent which is to treat the subsurface interval or stratum requiring such treatment. Thereafter, it was necessary to remove the liquid from the well bore, where air or gas is employed as a drilling fluid, before resumption of the dry type of drilling operation. ln the present invention the well above the subsurface interval and the point of sealing is maintained free of treating reagent.

It will be readily seen that the requirement of replacing the gasiform material With a liquid material throughout the whole length of the well is costly and time consuming and interrupts drilling operations for a considerable length of time. In the present invention such costly and time consuming operations are avoided by interrupting the drilling operations, sealing between the drill string and the wall of the well while maintaining the drill string in the well, and then introducing a body of liquid treating material into the hollow drill string and thereafter forcing the body of liquid treating reagent into the formation or interval to be treated by imposing pressure on the liquid body in the hollow drill string. By conducting such operations only a minimum amount of the liquid material is needed, and it can be forced substantially completely into the formation or interval to sealor treat same.

The treating reagent employed in the practice of the present invention may be a fluid cement slurry such as a conventional Portland cement or one of the modied types fice 2 such as described and claimed in the Salathiel Patent No. 2,582,459. Other modiiied cement slurries may be employed such as oil-emulsion cements and the like.

The treating reagent may suitably be a phenol-formaldehyde resin or a urea-formaldehyde resin or other resins of the Ithermo-setting type.

The treating reagent may suitably be a liquid suspension of a lost circulation control material of which there are many available on the market. By way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, examples thereof include iibrous cellulosic material such as bagasse, walnut hulls, pecan hulls, shredded cellophane, mineral or vegetable bers, animal fibers, and many other well known materials -useful in controlling lost circulation.

The treating reagent may suitably be a surface active agent such as the lower aliphatic alcohols such as those having l to 5 carbon atoms as illustrated by butyl alcohol, and the like, sulfonates of fatty acids, soaps, diglycol stearate, aldehydes, ketones, salts of petroleum sulfonic acids, phenol sulfonates or sulfates, alkylol amine derivatives, and the like, or may be an acid either in the form of a liquid or as a gel which may be used to treat the formation or interval penetrated by the drill bit While using a gasiform material as the drilling iluid. For example, a surface active agent such as isopropyl alcohol may be employed to stimulate production to a1- low a particular formation to be tested. Many treating reagents for subsurface earth intervals are known which may be employed in the practice of the present invention. The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. l shows a well in the course of being drilled employing a gasiform fluid as the drilling fluid;

FIG. 2 is a similar showing of the well of FIG. 1 with drilling operations being interrupted and the well sealed for introduction of the treating reagent;

FIGS. 3 and 3a are sectional elevational views illustrating the apparatus of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 4a are views illustrating the apparatus of the present invention with the packer inated and in position for treatment of the Well; and,

FIG. 5 is a modification of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in which identical numerals will be employed to designate identical parts, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral 11 designates a well drilled from the surface of the earth 12 to penetrate an earth interval 13 which is to be treated. A surface casing 14 has been placed to line a portion of the wall of the Well and has been cemented in place with cement 15. The surface casing extends below the derrick floor 15a. The surface casing is provided with a iluid return line 16 controlled by a valve 17. A drill string 18 is arranged in the well 11 and extends through a rotary table 19 on the derrick door 15a and is supported by the usual swivel 20, bails 20 and hoisting assembly 21 suspended by lines 22 from the derrick, not shown. The drill string 18 is provided with a packing assembly generally indicated by the numeral 23 which is arranged in and forms a part of the drill string 18 for sealing between the drill string and the wall of the well at a point adjacent and above the subsurface earth interval 13 as shown clearly in the drawing. On the lower end of the drill string is a drill bit 24 which may be of a roller or cutter type or may be one of the iishtal type. The drill bit 24 is provided with eyes or fluid circulation ports 25. A hose 26 provides fluid introduced into the drill string 18 for circulation of cuttings from the well through the annulus 27 and outwardly by way of line 16 controlled by valve 17 The hose 26 may suitably be controlled with a valve 28 to interrupt the flow of the gasiform fluid when it is desired to treat the Well J with a treating reagent. Likewise, line 16 may be closed by operating valve 17.

In accordance with FIG. l the well is shown with drilling operations being conducted and with the gasiform fluid being introduced through hose 26 down the hollow drill string 18 and out the eyes 25 and then up the annulus 27 and thence ilowing from the casing by line 16.

In FIG. 2 drilling operations have been terminated and the swivel 20 has been disconnected from the drill string 18. The assembly 23a (shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a), which comprises a packer inating assembly and well treating apparatus, has been lowered into the drill string 18 by means of wire line 73 to inflate the packer 23. Liquid treating reagent is introduced from the hollow drill string through the eyes 25 into the formation 13 as indicated by the arrows, the annulus 27 being sealed o by the packing member 23. After the treating operation has been concluded such as to shutoff water invasion from zone 13 by introduction of a sealing material therein, the packer 23 may be deated by removal of the assembly 23a. The swivel 20 is connected to the drill string 18 and circulation of gas resumed with valves 28 and 17 opened. Drilling operations with drill bit 24 are continued with operation of the rotary table 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 3a, the packing assembly generally indicated by the numeral 23 comprises a packer mandrel 30 which is connected into the drill string 18 on each end by coupling or connecting means 31 and 32. Connected to the mandrel 30 is an inflatable packing member 33, the packing member being connected to the mandrel 30 by means of collars 34 and 35. The packing member 33 is suitably reinforced on each end by reinforcing means such as metallic rods or other members 36 which are rigidly connected to ring members 37 on each end of the packing member 33.

Arranged within the packing mandrel 30 is a sleeve member 38 which is biased into a first position by biasing or urging means illustrated by a helical coil spring 39 maintained in the mandrel by an annular member 40 arranged within a recess 41, the lower end of the spring 39 resting on the member 40 while its upper end is in contact with the sleeve 38. In its first or upper position the sleeve 38 covers the port 42 and prevents 'the packing member 33 from being inflated. It is to be noted that the sleeve 38 is suitably sealed with the mandrel 39 by means of a plurality of sealing means or rings 43.

Arranged retrievably within the packing mandrel 30 and the drill string 18 is packer inflating and well treating assembly 23a, which comprises a first tubular elongated member 45 which is adapted to engage by a shoulder 46 with a corresponding shoulder 47 of the sleeve 38. It is to be noted that the shoulders 46 and 47 provide corresponding tapered surfaces for engagement. It is to be further noted that the sleeve 38 is retained in position by an annular member 48 which is arranged in a recess 49 in the packer mandrel 30.

A seal between the sleeve 38 and the tubular elongated member 45 is provided by a plurality of sealing means 50 arranged in the irst tubular elongated member 45.

The lower end of the tubular elongated member is provided with an annular member 51 which is provided with a port 52 for passage of lluid therefrom.

Slidably arranged in tubular member 45 is a second tubular elongated member 55 which threadedly engages tubular member 45a at its upper end. Tubular member 45a is provided with a rst chamber 53 which is adapted to contain a uid of the nature described to treat a subsurface earth formation. An annular chamber 54 is provided in tubular elongated member 45 and is adapted to contain a compressible uid for inflation of the packer 33 in a manner to be described. The tubular elongated member 5 is provided with a passageway 56 fluidly communicating with the chamber 53 and closed on its lower end by a frangible means such as a rupture disc 57. While the closure means 57 is illustrated as a frangible means or a rupture disc, suitably the closure means 5 57 may be a spring loaded valve which will open when pressure is imposed thereon. The second tubular elongated member 45 -is urged or biased into rst position by means of a lbiasing means or urging means illustrated by helical coil spring 58 which rests on the annular member 51 on its lower end and with its upper end contacting the lower end 59 of the tubular elongated member 55.

Itis to be noted that the first Itubular elongated member 45 is provided with a restricted area or sealing surface 60 which is adapted to cooperate with a sealing surface 61 of the second tubular elongated member 5'5 to form a seal therewith, one of the surfaces 60 or 61 being provided with sealing rings 62, which for purposes of illustration, are arranged in the surface 61. The sur-faces 60 and 61 cooperate to form a valve which controls ilow of fluid from the chamber 54 which is then communicated fluidly with corresponding ports 63 in the iirst tubular elongated member 45 and 64 Iin the sleeve 38. When the sleeve 38 is moved from its rst position as shown in FIG. 3a to its second position as shown in FIG. 4a by imposing weight of the tubular elongated member 45 on the sleeve 38, the ports 63 and 64 are placed in correspondence with the port 42 and uid may then be flowed to inflate the packer 33 by the surface 61 moving out of correspondence with the surface 60 by the send tubular elongated member moving from its rst position to its second position by compressing the spring 53.

A piston member `65 provided with sealing means 66 is formed on the upper end of the second tubular elongated member 55 and serves to compress the fluid `in chamber 54 and force same through the ports 63, 64, and 42 to inflate the packer.

Arranged in the chamber 53 is a piston member 67 provided with sealing rings 68 which is designed to compress the liquid treating reagent in chamber 53 to force same through the passageway 56 land to rupture the disc or open the closure member 57 to allow the treating reagent to proceed down the passageway 69 in the mandrel 30 and thence through the eyes 25 to treat the formation 13.

The piston 67 Vmay suitably be actuated by introduction of fluid pressure in contact therewith. In this embodiment of the present invention the fluid pressure is contained in a chamber 70 formed in a body member 71 which is provided with a fishing neck 72 connected to a wire line or cable 73. The body 71 Iis connected to and forms part of the tubular member 45a. A suitable connecting means is a tubular member 74 which is connected to the body member 71 by mating threads 75 which is arranged within a closure member 76. The upper end 77 of the tubular member 45a has la restricted cross sectional area and is provided with a passageway 78 which is closed on its upper end. The passageway 78 communicates with the exterior surface of the member 77 by means of lateral ports 79. It is to be noted that the tubular member 74 embraces the upper end member 77 and provides for relative movement between the body member 71 and the tubular member 45a, the member 74 forming an enlarged shoulder 80 and being arranged within the closure member 76 and biased or urged upwardly by means of a spring member 81 arranged within a chamber 82 in the member 76. The shoulder 86 is suitably sealed with the closure member 76 by sealing ring 83 and with the member 77 by means of a sealing n'ng 84. A sealing ring S5 seals between the upper end 77 and the tubular connecting means 74.

By virtue of the slidable connection provided by means of the upper end 77 and the tubular connecting means 74, the ports 79 may be moved within the chamber 70 to allow fluid such as a gas under high pressure in chamber 70 to be exerted through the passageways 79 and 78 against the piston 67 to move it downwardly to apply pressure against the non-compressible fluid in chamber 53 and to force same through the passageway '56 and open the closure member 57 and thence through the passageway 69 to treat the formation 13 as has been described.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the upper end of the tubular member 45a has been modied to provide a relatively solid member 90I having a passageway 91 communicating with the exterior surface thereof by means of lateral passageways 92, the upper end 90 of the modiiied tubular elongated member 45 being provided with a ishing neck 93 connected to the cable or wire line 73. In this embodiment gaseous pressure in the drill stem 18 may be exerted on the piston 67 `and serve to force the non-compressible fluid in chamber 53 through the passageways 56 and 69 out through the eyes 25 of the drill bit 24 to treat the formation 13.

It is believed that the foregoing description taken with the draw-ing illustrates the utility and advantages of the present invention.

When it is desired to treat a particular formation, stratum, or interval, and the like, the drilling operations as set out in FIG. 1 are interrupted. Thereafter, the assembly 23a, either the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5, is lowered in through the drill stem 18 to engage the surfaces 46 and 47. The tubular elongated member 45 has arranged within it the second tubular elongated member 55. Weight is set down on the tubular elongated member 45 which causes the spring member 39 to depress and to place the ports 63 and 64 into correspondence with the ports 42 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a. By suitable movement the tubular elongated member 55 then is moved downwardly compressing the spring 58 which moves the surface 62 out of correspondence with the surface 60 which causes the fluid in the chamber 54 to be compressed by the piston 65 and forces same through the ports 63, 64, and 42 to iniiate the packer 33 and to seal with the wall 11 of the well. Thereafter by relative movement of the member 71 and the member 45a by setting down on or slacking olf of the wire line 73, the piston 67 forces a yformation treating fluid in chamber 53 through the passageway 56, opening the closure member 57, and forcing the treating liquid into the formation. After the formation has been suitably treated such as by introduction of a sealing material, the tubular elongated member and its attendant structure may be lifted from the packer mandrel 30 which causes the sleeve Valve member 38 to resume its iirst position. The check valve member 100 which is held in place by a ring member 101 is then forced open by the pressure inflating the packing member 33, allowing same to be deflated and to resume the position shown in FIGS. l and 3a. Thereafter, drilling operations may be resumed.

AIt lwill be clear to the skilled workman that the operations as illustrated before and described with respect to the several gures of the drawing may be repeated as many times as necessary when required by the drilling bit penetrating a formation which requires such treating.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A method for treating a Well penetrating a subsurface earth interval in which a gasiform material is circulated down a hollow drill string in the well and up the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the well in a dry drilling operation which comprises the steps of interrupting said drilling operation including interruption of circulation of gasiform material, maintaining said drill string in the well, lowering a coniined body of a liquid treating reagent in said hollow drill string to a position above a point to be sealed, sealing between the drill string and the wall of the well adjacent said point and above said subsurface earth interval, applying pressure to said liquid treating reagent to release it from connement, and thereby introducing the entire body of said released liquid treating reagent into said subsurface earth interval from said hollow drill string whereby said well above said point is maintained free of said treating reagent* for resumption of said dry drilling operation.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the treating reagent is iiuid cement.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the treating reagent is a surface active agent.

4. A method in accordance with claim l in which the treating reagent is a lost return control material.

5. A method for treating a well penetrating a subsurface earth interval in which a gasiform material is circulated down a hollow drill string in the well and up the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the well in a dry drilling operation which comprises the steps of interrupting said drilling operation including interruption of circulation of gasiform material, maintaining said drill string in the well, lowering a confined body of a liquid treating reagent in said hollow drill string to a position above a point to be sealed, sealing between the drill string and the wall of the well adjacent said point and above said subsurface earth interval, applying pressure to said liquid treating reagent to release it from confinement, and thereby introducing the entire body of said released liquid treating reagent into said subsurface earth interval from said hollow drill string whereby said well above said point is maintained free of said treating reagent for resumption of said dry drilling operation, and then resuming said dry drilling operation including circulating said gasiform material.

6. A method for treating a well penetrating a subsurface earth interval in which a gasiform material is circulated down a hollow drill string in the well and up the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the well in a dry drilling operation which comprises the steps of interrupting said drilling operation including interruption of circulation of gasiform material, maintaining said drill string in the well, lowering a confined body of a liquid treating reagent in said hollow drill string, sealing between the drill string and the wall of the well at a point adjacent and above said subsurface earth interval, and applying pressure to said liquid treating reagent to release it from confinement and into said drill string and thereby introducing the entire body o-f said released liquid treating reagent into said subsurface earth interval from said hollow drill string whereby said well above said point is maintained free of said treating reagent for resumption of said dry drilling operation.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 in which said drilling operation with circulation of said gasiform material is resumed after introducing said liquid treating reagent into the subsurface interval.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,462 Swan Sept. 30, 1919 2,064,936 McQuiston Dec. 22, 1936 2,139,929 Blow Dec. 13, 1938 2,380,156 Dobson July 10, 1945 2,663,545 Grable Dec. 22, 1953 2,729,426 Smith Jan. 3, 1956 2,783,026 Reistle Feb. 26, 1957 2,796,134 Binkley June 18, 1957 

